Steelbound

Steelbound

On their seventh album, symphonic metal troupe Battle Beast offers a rousing, uptempo blast of positivity. Vocalist Noora Louhimo hoists the proverbial chalice high on the all-for-one, one-for-all anthem “Here We Are” as the Finnish band seamlessly fuses power metal and dancey synths with a Eurovision pop sensibility. The title track invokes ’80s sports flicks alongside Scandinavian metal and soft rock from the same era, while “Last Goodbye” turns up the aggression with a more syncopated, shred-heavy vibe courtesy of lead guitarist Joona Björkroth. Not to be outdone, “Angel of Midnight” splits the difference between Bonnie Tyler and Pat Benatar—and makes absolutely no apologies while doing it.